From Calgary’s space-age Peace bridge to Eindhoven’s floating roundabout and the Copenhagen apartments with a cycle path straight up to the 10th floor, Gavin Blyth’s Velo City highlights some of the world’s best cycling infrastructure.
Peace bridge, Calgary, Canada
This 126m single-span bridge uses an open double helix structure, with glass ‘leaves’ filling the top section to give some protection against the elements. The 2.5m-wide bicycle lane runs down the centre of the bridge, with pedestrian paths on either side.
Melkwegbridge, Purmerend, Netherlands
This bridge separates cyclists and pedestrians while still allowing easy passage for boats. The cycling deck splits in two, pivoting around piers on either side of the canal to allow boats to pass, while the 12m arch ensures pedestrian access remains uninterrupted.
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Hovenring floating roundabout, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
This cycling infrastructure owes more to the language of a motorway intersection than to a suburban bike path. The 72m-diameter disc enables cyclists to negotiate one of the Netherlands’ busiest roads with ease.
Arganzuela bridge, Madrid, Spain
The Arganzuela is the longest in a series of bridges planned for Madrid’s Manzanares Park, a new recreation area that was made possible after one of the city’s major highways was buried underground.
8 House, Copenhagen, Denmark
People living in these apartments can cycle from their front door – which could be 10 floors up – down to ground level without ever getting off the saddle. The continuous cycle path runs alongside terraced gardens and balconies at the heart of the development.
Bike Fixtation, various US locations
These self-service bike repair stations include a vending machine with essentials such as inner tubes and lights. There is also a work stand, with a range of tools attached, and an air compressor.
Brygge bridge, Copenhagen
When it was completed in 2006, the Brygge was the first bridge to have been built across Copenhagen Harbour for 50 years. Perhaps unsurprisingly for the self-styled city of cyclists, the bridge is for the exclusive use of bikes and pedestrian.
This feature originally appeared in The Guardian.
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